TriMet rolls out new bus lines in east Portland, Gresham and the westside

TriMet will start bus service on three new lines Monday, including a north-south route expected to increase service in underserved east Portland.

The new lines are among the specific improvements the transit agency committed to make in 2015 and represent a significant investment in east Portland in particular.

The new lines come as the agency is poised to make more additions to its bus service in the tri-county area thanks to an influx of cash from the state transportation package approved in 2017 and a boost in payroll taxes levied on employers.

In addition to the new lines, TriMet is improving connections on a number of routes and adding morning and evening service on others.

On Wednesday, TriMet General Counsel Shelley Devine described the east Portland route as “highly anticipated and highly requested.”

Many frequent bus commuters don’t live in the central city, where access to frequent bus transit is better, and have been pushed out by housing prices and find themselves in areas where north-south connections are few and far between.

Here’s a look at some of the changes headed your way.

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Andrew Theen | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Line 74-162nd Ave

This is perhaps the most coveted new bus service. Line 74 will run the length of 162nd Avenue from Northeast Airport Way to Southeast Powell.

The route is designed, TriMet said, to serve the “employment-rich Columbia Corridor.

Buses will run weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., arriving roughly every 30 to 35 minutes.

On Wednesday, the TriMet Board of Directors watched a video promoting the new line, and it featured Rosewood resident and transit activist Kem Marx.

But Marx told TriMet directors the line is “ineffective in serving the needs of people in east Portland,” and is being met by “an eye roll and a face palm” by residents in the area.

Marx said the bus needs to run earlier to serve employees’ needs and run on weekends, too.